How Times Change
by Chocolatesinger
Summary: Troy and Gabriella are meant to be. But sometimes, that can be tested in the most unlikely of ways. Follow our favorite characters as they journey through high school.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

Hi guys!

Okay. This is my first HSM fanfiction, one that's been in my head for a while. From what I've been planning, it's going to be pretty long and I'll try to update as often as I can. I hope you enjoy it, and please review so I know how it's going!

This story is NOT canon. Please keep this in mind, though I hope I stay mostly true to the characters Disney created. This is rated M for language and possible later sexual encounters. DO NOT READ if that makes you uncomfortable. Please feel free to make suggestions, corrections, and please leave comments.

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Jackie

**Disclaimer:** The author of this fanfiction DOES NOT have any official affiliation with Disney. She does not own any characters, locations, or brand names in this fanfiction, although she wishes she owns Zac Efron.

* * *

"Mami, do I _have_ to go to the party?" Gabriella whined, "I'll just stay here with Jonah and we'll count down together."

"Gabi, please. You're a young adult and it'll be fun! It's New Year's Eve. Just go, and try it. I'll be in the adult's lounge, and if it's really bad after one hour, you can leave," Teresa Montez said, sighing at her daughter.

"Gabi, I don't want to go alone and I want to play foosball with you in the kids room," ten year old Jonah said, standing next to his older sister.

"Okay… I'll go," She said begrudgingly. "But I'm bringing my book."

"Okay Troy, take it around town and go up. Got it?" A panting Jack Bolton said to his son Troy, who was crouching in front of him.

"Got it." Troy dribbled around and delivered the basketball into the basket.

"Boys!" Lucille Bolton called from the edge of the gym. "We did NOT fly all the way to Colorado to play _more_ basketball. Troy, go shower up right now, because you're going to the kids party."

"Kids party?" Troy rolled his eyes and wiped sweat from his forehead.

"No questions. Just go. Jack, you too, we're going to the adult party down at the bar."

Both Bolton men rolled their eyes and headed out of the gym.

"Ha! Beat you!" Jonah yelled triumphantly, across the table from Gabriella.

"Okay. Enough, I'm done playing with you! You beat me every time, I know you cheat somehow," Gabriella joked, affectionately ruffling her little brother's hair. They were at the New Year's Eve party, surrounded by people, the air filled with holiday spirit, karaoke and a rumble of people talking. Suddenly, a bright light shone on Gabriella and she looked around for the source, blinking her eyes.

"Congratulations!" a young man said with a microphone in his hands. "Looks like you've been selected for a round of karaoke… Come with me…"

Gabriella looked at Jonah fearfully and then began protesting as the young man grabbed her arm, leading her towards the makeshift stage. "No, I really can't. I really can't sing. Please don't put me up there."

After arriving at the kid's party, Troy wandered around and picked up a drink. He milled around, and began chatting with some girls about the slopes and snowboarding. He was laughing at a guy who had just walked past, wearing a Viking hat, when a bright light blinded him. Then, he felt an arm tugging at him and the owner of the arm began leading him towards the makeshift stage.

"Hey man, what's going on? Let go of my arm!" Troy said, trying to loosen his arm.

"Buddy, get up on stage! You've been chosen to do our next round of karaoke." The man holding Troy's arm pushed Troy up onto the stage and said, "One day, you're going to thank me for this. Or not."

Gabriella hated performing. She hated the bright lights, but most of all, she hated everyone watching her. She often sang while doing her homework, but rarely in front of people. Standing on a makeshift stage in front of a bunch of teenagers and pre-teens was the last place she wanted to be. Then, she had an epiphany. "Gabriella. If you get off the stage it'll look like you're a coward. You know how to read music! You've sang in church! You can do this! You can do this," she chanted silently.

"Alright, Troy. It's just one song," Troy thought to himself. He looked at the words appearing on the screen and tentatively began to sing.

"Livin' in my own world… Didn't understand… that anything can happen… if you take a chance…" okay! One line down. That's all I owe them.

"I never believed in, what I couldn't see… I never opened my heart… to all the possibilities…" Someone next to him was singing. Troy glanced over at his singing partner and grew more confident.

"Hi, I'm Troy," Troy said, shaking the hand of the girl next to him on the stage.

"Gabriella." Gabi said, taking his hand.

Helping her off the stage, Troy said, "Wow, you were… incredible. That was… um… I have to admit, I didn't wanna be up there." Troy was having a hard time speaking, as he had just taken a good look at Gabriella for the first time. She had ebony curls and wide brown eyes, long eyelashes, and a dimpled chin. Perfect.

"Okay, you were better! Have you done that before?!"

"Um… in the shower. You?" Troy said, leading her outside.

"The only time I ever sang in public was at church, and I nearly fainted beforehand. Doesn't count.

"Oh look, it's almost midnight!" Gabriella exclaimed, as people around them began to count down.

"Happy New Year," Troy said, looking down at Gabi.

"Happy New Year," Gabi said softly, looking into Troy's beautiful blue eyes. "I should probably go and find my little brother and my mom, and wish them a happy new year."

"Yeah, I should go find my parents too…" Troy said. He didn't know why, but he didn't want her to leave so soon after meeting her.

"It was… really nice to meet you." Gabriella said, blushing.

"Yeah. I'll um, see you around?" Troy said, and on a whim, he put his arms around her to give her a quick hug.

They fit together, like two pieces of a puzzle.

And then she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hoops! Hey man, how was the break?" Troy's curly haired best friend asked, ruffling Troy's chestnut hair as he sat on Troy's desk.

"Chad! You know, snowboarding. Tearing up the slopes," Troy replied, pushing his friend off of his desk and grabbing Chad's ever-present accessory and bouncing it on the floor.

"Mr. Bolton! No bouncing balls in class! Please bring that… thing… up front and I'll see you in detention!" Ms. Darbus barked as she walked into the room.

"Your excellency, that's not even a possibility, Troy is our team captain and he can't possibly go to detention…" Chad said, taking a seat as his desk.

"You too, Mr. Danforth. I'll see you in detention for talking back. The theater club always needs artisans for the set."

_Earlier that day, 6:30 AM_

"Sweetie, are you sure you're okay going to school by yourself?" Mrs. Montez said worriedly, pouring herself a coffee into a travel mug.

"Mom. I'll be fine, I'm 17 years old. Just drop me off. Jonah's more important," Gabriella said, trying to hide her apprehension. "Good morning, sleepyhead!" She said, as Jonah approached the breakfast table rubbing his eyes.

"Freaky genius girl is excited for school, I see," Jonah mumbled, grabbing a waffle.

"Don't call me that," Gabriella said, rolling her eyes and unwrapping a granola bar. "For once, I'm actually _excited_ to start at a new school… Maybe I can… maybe I can try out for the school musical instead of being on another decathlon team, and finally make friends… Mom, we're going to be here for an actual amount of time…"

"Whoa, slow down, Gabi. You should get acclimated first. I know you'll do very well in whatever situation you're in at East High. But the school musical?" Gabriella's mom said, tossing out Gabriella's granola bar wrapper.

"Yeah, I…" Gabriella started.

"She's all excited about singing because of that Troy guy and the karaoke thing in Colorado," Jonah cut in, finishing his waffle. "Gabi, you're going to be late to school. Let's go."

"Hey!" Gabi said, blushing.

"Your brother is right. We'd better get moving so that I can drop you off a little early to meet with Principal Matsui. He seemed very nice on the phone, and he'll help you get acclimated. Jonah, grab your bag, I'll take you to school."

/*/*/*/*/*/

"Gabriella, it's been a pleasure speaking with you. Your transcript is _extremely_ impressive and I assure you that your star will shine very brightly here at East High," Principal Matsui said, rising from his chair in his office.

"Thank you, Mr. Matsui," Gabriella said, blushing. She had felt immediately at ease after stepping into Principal Matsui's office, escaping from the cavernous halls of East High, which were mostly empty due to homeroom period.

"Your homeroom will be with Ms. Darbus, she's the head of our drama department. She's very… passionate about the arts," Mr. Matsui said, leading her out of the office and through the hallways. "Here we are."

"Thank you very much for meeting with me, Mr. Matsui," Gabriella said, her nerves returning as they neared the classroom door.

"No problem at all. My office is always open. Ms. Darbus, I apologize for interrupting. Here's your new student," Mr. Matsui said, sticking his head into the classroom and then beckoning Gabriella forward.

"Ah, Ms. Montez. Welcome to our homeroom! Please take a seat in the back," Ms. Darbus said, pointing to the only vacant seat.

Gabriella hurried to the back, not looking around her. She didn't notice that a certain blue-eyed boy had frozen when she walked in, or that he remained so until Ms. Darbus returned back to school announcements.


	3. Chapter 3

"Gabriella?" Troy caught her arm as she walked out of the homeroom door at the end of homeroom.

"Troy?" Gabriella squeaked as Troy led her away from the door.

"Whoa, yeah, it's me! What are you doing here?" Troy asked, shocked.

"Um, my mom got transferred here to Albequerque… What are _you_ doing here?"

"I've lived here pretty much since I was born," Troy said. "Hey, what class do you have next? I can walk you there, I have a free block."

"Oh, I have a free too! I'm probably just gonna walk around, check things out. This place is _huge_…"

"I can totally take you around! This is unbelievable. I can't believe you're here!" Troy began, walking down the hall with her.

"Um, you really don't have to, I'm sure your friends will want you around."

"Nah, the guys are probably shooting free throws or something. Come on, I'll show you the caf and stuff."

_Lunchtime…_

Gabriella wandered aimlessly around the cafeteria, clutching her tray to her chest. As soon as she had exited the ridiculously long queue for lunch, she entered the cavernous red and white cafeteria. Looking over the balcony rail to the lunch tables below, she saw that Troy was surrounded by cheerleaders and who she presumed to be his teammates.

"Hi! I'm Taylor… are you new here?" A girl tapped on Gabriella's shoulder, pulling her out of her observations.

"Hi… I'm Gabriella. I just came here today," Gabriella said, taken aback by Taylor's forwardness.

"No worries. Are you a junior?" Gabriella nodded. "Come sit with me down there." Taylor led Gabriella down the stairs.

"Girls, this is Gabriella…"

"Montez." Gabriella clarified.

"She just came here today! Gabriella, this is Martha, Katherine, Julia, Clayton, and Angela," Taylor said, pointing to each person as they waved. "So Gabi, where are you from?"

"I just moved from New York City. I've moved around a lot ever since I was nine, and I was only there for the last part of sophomore year. The first part of junior year I was in Ohio," Gabriella said.

"New York City?" Martha enquired. "I've _always_ wanted to go there. What school did you go to?"

"I um… I went to Stuveysant," Gabriella said tentatively.

"Stuveysant?" Taylor perked up. "Wow. Did you know- of course you know. Last year they won the national scholastic decathlon!"

"Taylor's team captain of our team," Angela put in.

"I was… I was on Stuy's team last year," Gabriella said, mentally slapping herself for revealing herself so quickly.

"No way." Taylor said, "Gabriella, you HAVE to come join the team."

"Taylor, give her room to breathe. She just got here today!" Martha said, rolling her eyes at Taylor's enthusiasm.

"Think seriously about it, Gabi! We could really use you." Taylor continued earnestly. She checked her watch. "Okay, it's almost time for class. Gabriella, do you know where you're going?"

"Yeah, I have AP Chem," Gabriella said, checking her schedule.

"Me too. I'll walk you there," Taylor said.

/*/*/*/*/*/

"So if you don't mind me asking, why have you moved around so much?" Taylor said as they prepared their lab bench. "I mean, if it was your dad's job, then why didn't your parents just send you to a boarding high school like Phillip's Academy Andover or something like that?"

"My mom's job," Gabriella cut in. "My family wanted to stick together, and I didn't want to leave them. It's been hard for the past few years, but I've gotten used to it, I guess. I have a little brother, Jonah, and my mom and I and him are really tight."

"That's good," Taylor said, wanting to know more but sensing that Gabriella was closed off about her dad. "I'm really glad that you're here… You seem like a great person, and I'm sure you'll be an awesome influence on East High. I really like you."

"Oh! Um, thanks…" Gabriella blushed at Taylor's bluntness. "East High feels really… comfortable. Hey um… You know Troy Bolton?"

"Troy Bolton. Oh God, please don't tell me you have a crush on him _already_. It's only the first day!" Taylor said as she copied down the equations on the whiteboard.

"No, no!" Gabriella protested, blushing deeper. "It's just…" she lowered her voice. "I met him over the break, when I was in Colorado, and we hung out a bit. I ran into him today after homeroom, and he took me around. I just wanted to know if he's a known psychopath or something like that!"

"No, Troy's a nice guy," Taylor started. "It's just that… Oh my God, he's like, East High royalty. Everyone treats him like he's _the shit_, but it's only because he made starting varsity in his sophomore year." Gabriella looked puzzled. "Basketball," Taylor clarified. "I mean, I think he's nice. He's no that smart though, or he is and could just try a lot harder. But basketball," Taylor said disdainfully, "is a waste of time."

"Alright class, please copy the problems down on the board. This should be easy, it's review," Mr. Cottle said, sitting down at his desk. "Work in pairs, please. Mr. Danforth, kindly put your basketball down and take out a piece of paper and a pencil. That should work better for this in-class activity."

"Sorry, Mr. Cottle," Chad muttered, grabbing his binder from his backpack and swiping a pencil from Katherine's desk. Troy turned around, setting his binder in his lap, the questions already copied down on his paper. "Alright, man, let's get to work."

"Hoops, what's gotten into you today? Why'd you miss free period practice?" Chad asked, whacking Troy on the arm. "You look all… weird."

"Okay. I'm not all weird. I missed practice… you know what, I missed practice because it's none of your fucking business," Troy said, whacking Chad back.

"Ooo, sassy!" Zeke cut in, having pulled a chair over to the two boys.

"Shut up, Baylor," Troy said, pushing Zeke almost off his chair good naturedly.

"It's a chick, isn't it," Chad said. "You get with Liza or something?"

Troy rolled his eyes. "Okay. Over the break, I met this girl on New Year's Eve, and yeah."

"Cyber sex?" Chad said, raising his eyebrows comically. "That's kinky, bro."

"Pervert," Troy said, chucking his pencil at his best friend's forehead. "No, she was in homeroom today! That new girl, Gabriella, the one Matsui brought in. Anyway, I took her around."

"We know what that means," Chad said, throwing Troy's pencil at Zeke.

"You perv," Zeke said. "So, you gonna ask her out or something? I saw her sitting with the nerds."

"No, no… I just thought it was cool, dude. Come on, we'd better do these problems."

Chad raised his eyebrows again and complied, and decided he would wait until practice to bug his almost-brother about this new girl.

**A/N:**

Okay, that was chapter 3! I hope you enjoyed. Please review with any comments or suggestions!

~Jackie


	4. Chapter 4

Gabriella logged onto facebook after a long first day of school. _Three new friend requests_. After the first day of school, this show of friendliness was surprising to her. Gabriella had never been super social; after losing her father in a car accident when she was nine, she withdrew and only really spoke to her family. Moving around a lot didn't really help her make friends, either.

"Taylor McKessie, Martha Cox, and… Troy Bolton," She read out loud to herself, lighting up at the last name. She accepted all three requests.

_**Troy Bolton:**__ Hey! How was your first day of school? _

Gabriella jumped at the message box, then quickly replied:

_**Gabriella Montez:**__ Awesome! Hey, thanks for taking me around today. _

_**Troy Bolton:**__ No problem. So cool seeing you today._

_I know you just got here, but who do you have for precalc?_

_**Gabriella Montez:**__ Um…_

_I'm actually in BC Calc._

_But I'm happy to help you. Why, does East High's varsity champ need homework help?_

_**Troy Bolton:**__ Oh. You heard about that :)… _

_Wait a sec, CALC? Are you like, super smart or something?_

_I guess that's only to be expected from a girl as amazing as you. _

Gabriella pushed away from her desk and spun her chair around, blushing furiously, then turned back to her computer and wrote,

_**Gabriella Montez:**__ Thanks…! Anyway, precalc help you needed?_

_**Troy Bolton:**__ Uh… yeah. Man, this is shit is awful. _

_**Gabriella Montez:**__ I mean, I'd be happy to tutor you if you actually need it._

_**Troy Bolton:**__ Wait, was that an actual offer? Guess even geniuses want a slice of the Wildcat superstar ;-) _

_**Gabriella Montez:**__ Sure. That's it. :-) Anyway, I'll give you my number tomorrow in homeroom and we'll talk about it. I should go, my mom just got home and the Inquisition will start._

_**Troy Bolton:**__ Aw_

_Well, it was amazing seeing you again. See you tomorrow!_

Gabriella shut her laptop and ran downstairs to greet her mom.

"Mami!" Gabriella cried, throwing herself at her mom.

"A little excited there! How was your first day of school? Tell me everything," Gabriella's mom said, laughing at her daughter's enthusiasm.

"Mami! You're home. Gabriella just came home and shut herself in her room, so can you feed me?" Jonah said, coming down the stairs.

"Jonah, you're old enough to be getting yourself food," Gabriella said.

"Whatever," Jonah replied, ambling towards the kitchen.

"Let's all go make dinner," Teresa Montez said, "Gabi and Jonah, tell me everything about your first days at school!"

"Son, you were looking really good in practice today," Jack Bolton said to Troy. They were both sitting at the dining room table, munching on their dinner.

"Thanks, dad. I think that I can really work on my jump shot more though, I missed it in practice today," Troy said.

"Okay, boys, enough basketball talk," Lucille Bolton said, amusedly. "Troy, how was your first day back to school? Was the break long enough?"

"Ma, it's never long enough. But the most _amazing_ thing happened to me today…"

"The most amazing thing?" Lucille said, raising her eyebrows. "Did you…"

"Don't guess. Remember that girl, Gabriella, the one from the ski lodge?"

"The one you sang with?" Jack interjected, chuckling. "Karaoke girl?"

"She was there. At school! She's coming to East High now! Isn't that off the hook?"

"That _is_ amazing. She just moved here? In the middle of the year? Her family probably needs help settling in," Lucy began.

"No! I mean, no. She said that her mom's job requires them to move a lot, please don't go see them or anything," Troy said, panicking.

"Why, you got a crush on her?" Jack said, looking up from his plate at his son teasingly.

"What am I, five?" Troy said. "I'm going to go do my homework. Thanks for dinner, Mama."

**A/N**

Well, that was a super short chapter two. How are you liking this fanfic? Please let me know :-)

~Jackie


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N **

Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long to update… School has gotten really busy! Last weekend, I was at Yale, and one of my first thought after setting foot on campus was: "OMG! I'M AT TAYLOR'S COLLEGE!" Yeah, um… I'm obsessed J Enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you think!

* * *

"Mr. Bolton!" Ms. Darbus barked, snapping Troy out of his reverie. "It is the second day back from winter break and you are already dozing off in my homeroom. Perhaps a revitalizing trip to the theater for musicale auditions would be of note to you? Class, as you all know, Twinkle Town auditions will be held tomorrow during activity period. Please join us in seeing if the theater is your calling…" Troy returned to his thoughts. _Is it too soon to ask Gabriella out? I barely know her… But it just feels right… Gabriella… Gabriella. I like that. I don't know…_

"Hoops! Free period, you game for some ball?" Chad said, catching Troy walking out of homeroom.

"Um… I'll get back to you on that. Hey, Gabriella!" Troy said, running after her retreating figure.

"Hi Troy!" Gabriella said shyly.

"Did you hear what Darbus was saying?" Troy said casually. "After the way you sang… you know… you should do it!"

"You should too, Troy. From my one day of being here, I know that you're a basketball superstar. But you know, it could be fun…" Gabriella trailed off, seeing the look on his face.

"I don't know… the guys… you know. But…"

"It's okay, Troy. I'm not sure if I should do it, I kind of want to get settled in."

"Gabriella!" a voice said from behind them. Gabriella and Troy spun around, seeing Taylor approaching.

"Hi Taylor!" Gabriella said, waving. She quickly turned back to Troy: "Hey, Taylor and I want to go talk to Dr. Bainard, because one of the formulas in the Chem packet isn't correct. I'll um… talk to you later then?"

"Wait!" Troy said, catching her arm. He felt a shock run through him and he smiled. "Last night, were you serious about… tutoring me?"

"Yes!" Gabriella said, reaching into her bag for a pen. "Here's my number," she took Troy's hand, feeling a current run through her arm and she blushed as she wrote her cellphone number on his hand. "Feel free to text me or call me, tell me what's good for you and we'll work something out."

For the first time ever, Gabriella felt liked at high school. She looked in wonderment at her lunch table, which was full of braniacs and nerds just like her, though not as smart. She thought about Troy, and how he had touched her arm…

"Gabriella?" Taylor said, snapping her fingers in front of Gabriella's face. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Gabriella looked around, focusing on Taylor. "Yeah, I was just thinking about…"

Taylor cut her off. "Hey guys," she said to the lunch table. "Gabi and I have to go. See you later." She stood up, grabbing Gabriella's arm, and pulled her out all the way out of the cafeteria. "So," Taylor said casually, walking Gabriella outside. "Tell me, how did you meet Troy? And are you planning on waiting for him to make the first move?"

"Taylor!" Gabriella spluttered. "I… I… um…"

"Don't deny it," Taylor said. "ANYONE would be able to see that you guys… have something. Okay, maybe not those basketball blockheads, but I can definitely see it. Like I said, Troy's not a bad guy…You could do worse."

"Is it really that obvious?" Gabriella said, blushing a deep scarlet. "I… I basically just met him and he's… I really…"

"Are you going to make the first move?" Taylor asked. "I mean… there's obviously some student politics involved, but you'll get around it…"

"Not even thinking about that. He asked me to tutor him, so I guess I'll just keep it professional?" Gabriella said.

"Right." Taylor snorted. "And I'm the Queen of England."

"Gabi, this is Troy… Troy Bolton from East High… Um, so, I was wondering if the tutoring thing… anyway, give me a call?" Troy groaned as he hung up.

"Troy!" Lucille Bolton called from the bottom of the stairs. "Chad is here!"

Chad appeared in Troy's doorway a moment later.

"Troy Bolton. What has gotten into you, man? Ever since winter break you've been on fire in practice but a complete weirdo in school."

"I dunno, man, it's just that…" Troy paused, thinking of what he should tell his best friend. "I met this girl and… I think it could go somewhere?"

"You mean the freaky math girl?" Chad said incredulously. "Um…"

"Her name is Gabriella." Troy said firmly. "She's going to start tutoring me…"

"Right. You'll get her, Bolton, because she's not gonna be able to resist you. No girl is."

**A/N**

I CAN SEE IT NOW! OUR FAVORITE COUPLE IS GONNA GET TOGETHER SOON…


	6. Chapter 6

"Thank you very much," Gabriella heard Ms. Darbus say as she slipped into the auditorium. "Next!"

"Gabriella," a voice whispered from behind her. Gabriella jumped, then realized that it was Troy's voice. "I knew I would find you here," Troy continued, pulling her into the back row and slouching down low.

"How… I mean, I just… I wanted to see if I had a chance, you know?" Gabriella said, blushing as Sharpay and Ryan stepped onto stage.

"They're really good," Troy said, watching as the twins commenced into an elaborate dance routine. "The blonde one is Sharpay, and that's her twin brother Ryan. He's more like her puppy, though, he follows her around a lot. They're the Evans twins, and their father owns the Lava Springs Country Club, which is super exclusive," Troy explained.

"Oh," Gabriella said, as Sharpay curtseyed.

"Anyone else? No? Good? We're done," Ms. Darbus said, standing up from her seat.

"Wait! Ms. Darbus, I'd like to audition!" Gabriella cried, jumping up from her seat.

"Ms. Montez, punctuality is key in the realm of the theater. The time for auditions is done. Perhaps the next musicale," Ms. Darbus said, then she turned her back on Gabriella and walked out of the auditorium.

Gabriella sighed, frustrated with herself at not speaking up sooner. Troy approached her, touching her elbow and saying, "That's too bad, Gabi… I'm sorry…"

"Gabriella?" Another voice said timidly. "My name is Kelsi… I'm um… the pianist. I would love to hear you sing… Sharpay and Ryan butchered my song."

"You wrote that?" Gabriella said incredulously. "That's… that's amazing."

"It's a duet," Kelsi said, turning to Troy. "Do you want to try it with her?"

"Oh, no…" Troy ran his hand through his chestnut hair. "I don't sing."

"Yes you do," Gabriella said, pulling him towards the piano. "He has a wonderful voice," confided Gabriella to Kelsi.

"Really?" Kelsi said, sitting down. "It's nice to see that you're not as one-dimensional as every sees."

Troy blushed and said, "Gabriella has an amazing voice, I don't want to pull her down…"

"Don't be ridiculous. It's only me and Gabriella that will hear," Kelsi said, gaining confidence and handing the couple the sheet music.

"It's hard to believe, that I couldn't see… you were always right beside me," Troy sang, looking down at Gabriella.

"Thought I was alone, with no one to hold…" Gabriella came in, looking back at Troy and blushing. "But you were always right beside me. This feeling's like no other… I want you to know…" The couple continued, voices blending together perfectly. At the end of the song, Kelsi took her hands off the piano and said softly, "That was beautiful…"

"Ms. Nielson!" Ms. Darbus barked, and all three jumped. "Give Mr. Bolton and Ms. Montez the music to 'Breaking Free'. The cast list will be announced tomorrow, and if need be, callbacks will be held.."

"What?" Troy turned to Kelsi, "Um, I don't… I can't…"

"Okay guys!" Kelsi said excitedly. "I'm happy to rehearse with you whenever, after school, before school, weekends," She handed Gabriella the music with her number scrawled on the side. "Add me on facebook, we can chat…" Gabriella looked happily at Troy, then her expression faltered when she saw the look on his face.

"If you don't want to do this," Gabriella said, cutting through Kelsi's babble, "It's okay…"

"Troy, you HAVE to do this," Kelsi said firmly. "This will be amazing for the theater club… and for East High. This could change everything!"

"I'll… I'll think about it," Troy said, as the bell rang. "Gabriella… I'll see you after school for our first tutoring session, okay?"

Gabriella climbed off the bus, and Troy climbed out just behind her. "This is my house," Gabriella said, unlocking the white picket fence gate and leading Troy up the walkway. Unlocking the door, she said, "can I get you anything to drink?"

"Um… no, I'm good." Troy said, looking around at the spotless interior of her house.

"If it's okay with you, we'll be working in my room. My dining room table is broken, and I don't think working in the living room will be very productive."

"Okay," Troy said, smiling at her efficient and businesslike tone.

Leading him up the stairs, and to her room, pointing at different doors in the hallway. "That's my little brother Jonah's room… That's the bathroom, that's my mom's room, and this is my room," She stopped at the doorway at the end of the hall, closest to the front of the house.

"Your room is awesome," Troy said, following her inside. The was a couch close to a wall of paned windows, which led to a balcony. The powder blue couch had a coffee table in front, and there was a dark wood full bed with baby blue bedding. On the other side of the room, there was a closet and a door to Gabriella's bathroom.

"Thanks," Gabriella said, blushing. "Um, since this is hopefully my mom's final relocation… I wanted my room to be a little nicer, too… I think we'll work on the coffee table, since we'll be able to spread out." She plopped down on the couch, patting the cushion next to her in a gesture to let him know that he could sit down. "So Troy, tell me about yourself. Before I start working with you, I'd be nice to get to know you. That way I can deduce your study habits and such…"

"Um…" Troy hesitated. "Will you let me get to know you as well?" He asked flirtatiously.

"You first," Gabriella said firmly.

"Okay… Hi, my name is Troy Bolton. I'm 17 years old, just turned 17 in October… I'm on the basketball team, starting varsity. Basketball is my passion, I love it and I can't imagine what I'd be without it. I've been living here in Albuquerque since I was born. I'm an only child… I guess my favorite subject would be PE, but I guess academically I enjoy biology. I'd like to play for the NBA... The Lakers, of course," Troy finished.

Gabriella smiled at him and said, "Biology. I love biology too."

"Tell me about you," Troy said. "I feel like I know you already, even if it's only been a few days… But tell me something about you that I don't know."

"Hi Troy Bolton, I'm Gabriella Montez," she said playfully, holding out her hand for him to shake. He took it, and his hand lingered on hers as she continued. "I'm 17 years old. My birthday is December 14th. I have a little brother name Jonah. I've moved around a lot ever since I was 9… Since… well, anyway, I live with my mom and my little brother Jonah. Family is so, so important to me," she said solemnly. "It's been really hard, moving around so much, because… I haven't really been able to make that many friends. I guess that's why I'm so close with my mom and my brother. I'm lucky to have them. Anyway, my favorite subject is probably… I don't know, I love them all. I've always loved school, but not because of my friends like a lot of people. Just that school is… a place where I can learn. And… I love to sing, and thank you so much for auditioning with me today. Even if you didn't know it."

"Gabriella?" Troy said, walking down the stairs with her. "Thank you so much for helping me today… and it was really nice to get to know you better."

Gabriella nodded. "Same time next week? Text me or something if you run into more problems, but I think you're pretty good for your precalc test on Friday. I'm sorry, I totally forgot to ask. Are you okay in chem right now? Because I can definitely help you with that."

"There was one thing in chemistry that I wanted to try," Troy said softly. He leaned in closer.

"Gabi?" Jonah said, pushing the front door open.

"Jonah!" Gabriella said, jumping back from Troy. "Troy, this is my little brother Jonah… Jonah, this is Troy. I'm tutoring him."

"Nice to meet you," Troy said, withdrawing from Gabriella and holding out his hand. Jonah shook it firmly and said, "Hi Troy. I'm 10 years old."

"He thinks his age is really important," Gabriella said, rolling her eyes.

"I should get going," Troy said, opening the front door. "Coach wants evening workouts to begin tonight, for the championship game. Thank you so much," he said, winking at Gabriella.

**A/N**

Tell me what you think J Reviewing is a very nice thing of you to do, hehe hint hint.


	7. Chapter 7

"Thanks for dinner, mom," Gabriella said, getting up to clear her plate. She walked over to the sink and began to rinse the dishes, and her mom stood next to her drying.

"So how did your first tutoring session go?" Teresa enquired, setting the forks on the drying rack.

"It went well. Troy's a smart guy, there's just some concepts he needed help grasping."

"Don't you think it's a little fast, your first week at a new school and you're tutoring?"

"No… I'm actually really enjoying East High, mom. I can't wait for you to meet my friends!"

"I'm so proud of you, Gabi," Teresa said, embracing her daughter.

"Thanks mom…" Gabriella giggled. "Don't get all teary on me. I'm a junior… Save the tears for senior year. I'm going upstairs to do my homework."

*/*/*/*/*

_Taylor McKessie: So how is your quest for East High's superstar going?_

_Gabriella Montez: Taylor! Stop it. Our tutoring session went well… but at the end… I walked him to the front door and OMG okay I'll stop freaking out._

_Taylor McKessie: What happened?! Gabriella Montez. Tell me right now. I don't get enough school gossip!_

_Gabriella Montez: I think he was going to kiss me…_

_Taylor McKessie: But what?_

_Gabriella Montez: My little brother came home._

_Taylor McKessie: Was Troy disappointed?_

_Gabriella Montez: I don't know, I couldn't tell… _

_Taylor McKessie: Speaking of Troy… A little bird told me that you auditioned for the school musical with him._

_Gabriella Montez: Who told you that?_

_Taylor McKessie: Okay, maybe I saw you sneak into the auditorium, and I'm not called smart for nothing._

_Gabriella Montez: Please don't tell anyone… Troy isn't sure if he wants to do it yet._

_Taylor McKessie: OOo, already keeping secrets for your man!_

_Gabriella Montez: He's not my man!_

_Taylor McKessie: He will be. If there's one thing I know from people watching everyone in our grade since kindergarten, it's that Troy Bolton is no typical jock when it comes to girls. He's a hopeless romantic._

_And I thought you wanted to get settled into school! Since you tried out for the musical, you HAVE to join the decathlon team. Promise?_

_Gabriella Montez: ….Fine…. _

_Taylor McKessie: Don't sound so grudging. You'll love it!_

_Gabriella Montez: Sure._

_Hey, I should probably go. Calculus is calling_

_Taylor McKessie: Have fun! Bye_

_Gabriella Montez: Bye!_

Gabriella closed her computer and opened her BC Calculus book. She tried to shove Troy to the back of her mind, and, failing miserably, settled into the tedious process of derivatives. She could do them basically without thinking, so this left her to think about Troy…

_Tap tap tap_. Gabriella looked up from her text book, and stood up to search for the source of the tapping. She gasped when she saw Troy outside, grinning at her, shrouded partially in darkness. She hurried to the door to her balcony, and opened it, whispering "Troy! What are you doing here?"

Troy pulled her outside and whispered back, "I couldn't stop thinking about you…" Then he blushed. "Well that was awfully candid…"

"Shh… It's sweet." Gabriella said, blushing. "But how did you get here?"

"Simple. I walked here and climbed up this handy tree."

"You _walked_ here?" Gabriella said, touched.

"Yeah, it took me like 20 minutes. When you've lived in a town as long as I have, you get to know the lay of the land pretty well."

"Is there any particular reason that you're here? Did you forget something?" Gabriella said breathily, noticing the proximity between them.

"Yes…" Troy said, catching her waist. He leaned his head down, pressing his lips to Gabriella's. He wrapped both of the arms around his waist, gently holding her to him. She pulled him closer, threading her fingers through his hair. Finally, both needing air, Gabriella broke the kiss.

"That's what I forgot," Troy whispered to Gabriella, his arms still wrapped around her waist. Gabriella pulled his head down again, pressing her lips to his, and Troy marveled at how well she fit into his arms. Troy pressed another kiss to her, and said, "I better leave you to study… Gabriella… Sleep well."

"You too," Gabriella whispered, as he climbed back down the tree. She watched his retreating back, and went back inside, closing her balcony door. She curled up in her bed, calculus forgotten, and fell asleep thinking about Troy Bolton.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**

Hey guys! Jackie here. I hope you're enjoying this fanfiction… You reading this means the world to me. Let me know what you think!

* * *

_Beep beep beep_

Troy's alarm shrilled incessantly, and he rolled over onto his side to shut the ringing off. _Did yesterday actually happen?_ Troy thought. _Did I actually audition for the musical… And I climbed up to Gabriella's room and I kissed her?_ Troy's lips curled into a smile as he fully realized what had happened. It was going to be a great junior year.

"Jonah! We're gonna be late for school!" Gabriella screeched, rushing down the stairs and shoving her notebook into her backpack.

"Mija, what's gotten into you? You'll be fine. Take this," Gabriella's mom shoved a waffle at her frantic daughter. "You have more than enough time to get outside."

"Jonah!" Gabriella called.

"I'm right here!" Jonah rolled his eyes, opening the front door.

Gabriella fussed with her hair, combing it down, saying, "Do I look okay?" to her little brother.

"I think you look nice," another voice said. Gabriella spun around, and saw Troy heading towards them, his backpack slung casually over his shoulder.

"Troy!" Gabriella blushed furiously.

"Mind if I walk you to school? 10 minute walk, tops. We'll be there in no time."

"I…uh…" Gabriella stammered.

"Just go, Gabi," Jonah said, pulling his book out of his backpack. "I'll take the bus by myself. Hey, Troy."

"Hey Jonah," Troy said. "I hope you don't mind me taking your sister."

"Sure," Jonah said, giving Troy the once over. "If you don't get her there on time, though…"

"I suspect I won't be able to play basketball for a very long time," Troy finished with a laugh.

"Alright, let's go," Gabriella said, pulling Troy's arm. The couple began walking briskly, and once they had turned a corner where Jonah couldn't see them, Troy took Gabi's hand.

"Gabriella, I…" Troy began.

"Last night was…" Gabriella cut him off. "What was that?"

"Gabi, I… I've never felt this way before. It's been a few days and I can't stop thinking about you," Troy confessed.

"Taylor was right," Gabriella murmured. "You _are_ a hopeless romantic. But don't stop now!" Gabriella laughed as Troy withdrew his hand from hers playfully.

"Only for beautiful girls." Troy said cheekily. They walked in silence for a few minutes, then Gabriella said, "Troy, what do you want to do about… Telling people. I'm the freaky genius new girl, and you're the Wildcat superstar, and…"

"What if I just flaunt you?" Troy inquired. "They'll say, hey, Troy Bolton got that hot new girl to hook up with him."

"Troy!" Gabriella said, shocked. "I don't want to be seen as a slut!"

"Kidding, kidding," Troy said. "It'll get around. If there's one thing I know about our school, it's that we have a _very_ efficient rumor mill."

"Um, Gabi?" Taylor hissed, yanking Gabriella out of the lunch line. "You have explaining to do! Now march!"

"Taylor!" Gabriella squeaked. "What?!"

"Gabi. You can't just waltz into school with East High's superstar and not expect me to find out about it! When did this happen? I thought you just had a tutoring session and he _didn't_ kiss you!"

"He… Taylor, it was the most romantic thing ever," Gabriella began, then broke off when she noticed people staring at her. "Why is everybody staring at me?"

"Because you're now Troy Bolton's property," Taylor said, rolling her eyes. "He's like a celebrity here, so… You know, word gets around. East High has a very efficient rumor mill."

"Troy said the same thing," Gabriella mused. "But I can't have people staring at me, I really can't."

"Girl, you don't even know the half of it. Finish telling your story, and then I'll tell you what a splash you've made at East High in just 3 days.

"Okay, so… I have a balcony with a tree next to it, and Troy climbed up the tree and knocked on my window and then he kissed me and today he walked me to school and he's the most romantic guy I've ever met," Gabriella said, all in one breath.

"That's so sweet!" Taylor exclaimed. "Now I have something to show you." Taylor pulled Gabriella's arm and marched her towards the student activities bulletin board.

"Look. What do you see there?" Taylor said jabbing her finger at the board. Gabriella gasped.

"TAYLOR!" Gabriella shrieked, all shyness forgotten. "I GOT THE LEAD IN THE SCHOOL MUSICAL! I'm… Minnie…" Gabriella said dreamily.

"And Troy is Arnold," Taylor rolled her eyes. "Minnie and Arnold… What ridiculous names. But do you understand what this means, Gabriella? My whole life, I've been a mere observer of student politics. I know every single person in this grade, even if I've never talked to them, and I've been watching everyone. This is a _huge_ shift! In just a few days, you, the genius, have wooed Troy Bolton, Wildcat superstar, and gotten the lead in the school musical!"

"I'm sure it's not that big…" Gabriella mumbled, then brightened up. "I'm in the musical… as a lead…!"

"WHERE IS THAT BITCH! NO ONE WILL STEAL MY SPOTLIGHT!" Sharpay could be heard shrieking as she stormed in the direction of Gabriella and Taylor.

"Gabriella… I know you've crossed a lot of lines these past few days… Trust me, Sharpay is not a hurricane you want to cross with. Let her calm down… it'll take what… fifty years?"

"Hi Gabriella," a voice she recognized as Ryan Evans' said. "I'm Ryan… let me just divert you from the path of Hurricane Sharpay. I think we should talk. Taylor, do you mind if I talk to Gabriella alone?"

"Sure," Taylor said. "Gabriella, you'll be fine."

"Gabriella," Ryan pulled her into an empty classroom. "I know this must be kind of weird, but as president, ahem, _co_-president of the drama club, I'd like to congratulate you and Troy on your leads in the school musical. While it is quite a shock that… _Troy_ tried out… I'm glad." Gabriella stared open mouthed at Ryan. "From what Kelsi was saying about your voice, she said you have a beautiful voice… Maybe this will be good for Sharpay? She's used to getting what she wants."

"I don't know what to say," Gabriella said. "I've never been in a musical before… I've never auditioned for anything, and I've always wanted to… These past few days at East High have been crazy…"

"You've got everyone talking," Ryan said, holding the door open to signal the end of the conversation. "Maybe this is a good thing… High school can always be made more interesting."

_This is insanity, _Gabriella thought to herself, tuning out the derivatives she already knew how to handle. _Never, in my years of schooling, have I witnessed this craziness… But it's kind of nice, not being anonymous, I guess? I have to talk to Troy. _Gabriella inconspicuously pulled her textbook onto her lap, leaning it against the edge of her desk and pulling her phone out.

_Troy, we need to talk_

She looked back at the whiteboard, then felt her phone buzz.

_Texting during class? Naughty. What's up._

Gabriella typed back, _Is there a place we can meet after school?_ A moment later, Troy replied, _Yeah. I have a half hour before practice, so… let's meet in the caf? I have someplace more… private, where we can go._

_I'll be there._ Gabriella promised.

"So, how was your day?" Troy's voice came from behind her. He took her hand and began leading her through East High.

"Good…" Gabriella said, tightening her grip on his hand as people turned to stare at them.

"Just ignore them…" Troy said, ignoring her discomfort.

"I've never really been noticed before…" Gabriella confessed. "This is weird."

"'s okay, you'll get used to it, now that you're my…" Troy stopped, mid-sentence. "What is this?"

"I don't know, I was kind of hoping that you knew," Gabriella blushed and looked down.

"One sec," Troy said. "Okay, we're clear." He led her up a set of stairs, and opened the double doors.

"This is the rooftop," he announced, smiling at Gabriella's look of wonder. "We're on top of the school. I come up here when I need time to think. It's a safe place…"

"It's beautiful," Gabriella said, looking around at the flowers atop the concrete flooring.

"It is," Troy said, gazing at her. "Gabriella… I know it's only been a few days… but will you be my girlfriend?" Gabriella looked at him in silence.

"Troy…" Gabriella said, taking his other hand. "I would be honored to be your girlfriend." She gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"This entails changing your facebook profile and stuff…" Troy said jokingly. "Nah, you don't have to tell people until you're ready."

"How did this happen, Troy?" Gabriella said softly.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Troy said teasingly, but underneath, he was nervous.

"It's not a bad thing, it's just _different_." Gabriella said, letting go of Troy's hands and walking away from him. "My whole life, I haven't been noticed… ever since… and I come here and you, the basketball champion, sweep me off my feet in 3 days."

"Since what, Gabi?" Troy asked, closing the distance between them and wrapping his arms around her.

"Troy, I…" Gabriella hesitated, then led him over to a bench, patting the seat next to her.

"Is it a bad thing? You don't have to tell me unless you want to…" Troy said, concerned, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"No, I should tell you." Gabriella sighed, twisting her fingers together. "Do you have time?" Troy checked his watch. " It's been 15 minutes, so I have a good half-hour left before coach whips my ass. I can be late. You're important," Troy said.

"I… okay. Enough hesitating." Gabriella turned to face Troy so she could gauge his reaction to what she was about to say. "When I was nine years old, my father was killed in a car crash. There, I said it. I said it, I said it, I said it. Now you're going to look at me all sympathetically and…"

"Shh, Gabriella." Troy tightened his grip around her shoulders. "Gabi… I had no idea. I'm so sorry… Are you…. Are you okay?"

"I just needed to tell you, something you should know. I'm as okay as I'll ever be… I guess you could say, that's the root cause of everything. My family has grown so tight since then. We've moved around so much because… it's really hard on my mom. It's so… hard… growing up without my daddy around, but… Okay, I'm sorry for dumping all this all on you so quickly."

"No, no!" Troy protested. "Gabi, I'm so sorry… It really must've been hard. Let me know if you ever want to talk about it or anything."

"Thanks, Troy. That means a lot… denial is not a good place to be. Even after all these years…"

"It's okay, Gabi." Troy said.

"You should go to practice." Gabriella stood up. "I don't want you to be late. I don't want my first impression on your dad to be as a distraction."

"Okay…" Troy said reluctantly. "I'll… talk to you later then?"

"Talk to you later," Gabriella confirmed with a smile.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N

I can't believe how addicting this is! I love writing this fanfic J Sorry if the super frequent updates are bothering y'all… This is so much fun J hehehe LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ;-) The review & follow/favorite buttons are your friends. Love you J

-Jackie

* * *

"So, Gabi, what was one good thing that happened to you today?" Inquired Teresa Montez, beginning their daily family dinner tradition.

"Mami, it was so amazing I don't know where to start…" Gabriella smiled widely. "I got the lead in the school musical!"

"Gabriella, that's fantastic news! I'm so proud of you," Teresa sad, grasping Gabriella's hand. "That was very quick- already a star at East High!"

"I… it's been so amazing. I have so many friends like Taylor and-"

"She has a boyfriend," said Jonah, munching on a carrot.

"Jonah!" Gabriella exclaimed.

"Gabi, is that true?" Teresa said, furrowing her brow. "That doesn't sound like you."

"I… Jonah!" Gabriella said, frustrated. "Mami, his name is Troy, he's the boy who I met at the ski lodge… Jonah, how did you know? We just made it 'official' today!" Gabriella exclaimed, turning a brighter shade of red with every word.

"Well, I…" Teresa was speechless. "I'm not really sure how to handle this, Gabi. We've never run into this before. Is he a nice boy?"

"He's wonderful," Gabriella said, nodding vigorously.

"I've met him," Jonah put in. "He seems like a cool guy. He plays basketball," Jonah finished in awe. "Can I please be excused?"

"Of course. Clear your plate. Gabi, he plays basketball?"

"Yes. He's on starting varsity, and he's the best on the team," Gabriella confirmed proudly.

"I see. How old is he?"

"He's my age, Mami. He's a junior, and he's in my homeroom. I'm tutoring him," Gabriella reminded her mother.

"Okay. We'll talk about this later, Gabi. I can see that you're very happy about this, but… I'm not going to give you the talk," Teresa said pointedly. "Your body is your body. But remember, the choices that you make now will affect you in the future."

"Mom!" Gabriella turned, if possible, a deeper shade of red. "Can I go now?"

"Yes."

"Jonah!" Gabriella hissed, barging into her little brother's room. "What was that? I didn't want mom to find out like that!"

"Just because I'm seven years younger than you, that doesn't mean that I'm stupid," Jonah said calmly.

"I never said you were stupid!" Gabriella protested.

"What I meant was, how were you gonna tell mom? You were probably gonna delay it… and then she would find out and you would have it eating away at you because you hadn't told her."

"Why are you always right," Gabriella grumbled, backing out of her brother's room.

"Troy?" Jack Bolton opened his son's bedroom door.

"Hey Dad," Troy said.

"So what was all the fooling around today? The guys weren't super focused, but you were on fire!"

"Um… just some school sh- I mean, stuff going on. Nothing too big."

"Like you getting a girlfriend today?" Jack said, raising his eyebrows.

"Dad!"

"I'm not deaf, son. I heard Chad!"

"I'm gonna kill that motherf-"

"Hey, at least I didn't hear it from another teacher or something that my son was displaying a little much PDA in the hall. Be grateful."

"Can you leave?" Troy groaned.

"Already going."

"Wait, are you going to tell mom?"

"Your mom already knows. After seventeen years of living with you, her mom radar is pretty sharp."

_Well, my parents are psychic, so…_ Gabriella's phone lit up with a text.

_Oh really. My brother is a loudmouth._ Gabriella typed back.

_So is mine._ Troy quickly texted back.

_You have a brother?_

_Oh. Chad, I've known him since preschool. He's like a brother to me. Anyway, Dad overheard him during practice. The guys were fooling with me._

_I see. That's so sweet about Chad J_ Gabriella typed back, and a few seconds later, her phone started to ring.

"Hello?" Gabriella said, knowing that it was Troy.

"Hi."

"I was just getting ready for bed," Gabriella said, smiling at the sound of his voice.

"Oh. Okay. Sleep well," Gabriella could hear him smiling.

"Thanks Troy, you too. Goodnight…"

"Goodnight."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**

Hey Guys, I just wanted to take a moment to let you know how much y'all mean to me. I go onto my account and see how many people are reading this, and it just makes me so so happy J Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my fanfic. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to PM me or review! Thank you so much J

* * *

The next few days passed in a whirlwind. Gabriella was relieved when last period on Friday arrived; she had successfully avoided Sharpay all week and had managed to spend time with Troy and Taylor. After years of being a loner at school, Gabriella was happy with her boyfriend, but most of all, she found that she clicked with Taylor like no one else. She knew that Taylor would be a friend for the long haul.

_Ringgg_ The sound of the bell pierced the air and everyone gathered their papers excitedly, glad that their first week back at school after winter break was finally over.

"Gabi!" Taylor exclaimed as Gabriella walked out of the room. "I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight, maybe see a movie or something? You haven't been to the Albuquerque mall yet…"

"Oh… Troy's last game to decide the championships is today… And he invited me to a party afterwards!" Gabriella lit up, then saw Taylor's face fall.

"Are you free tomorrow night? You could come over and watch a movie," Gabriella said.

"Sounds good!" Taylor said.

"Hey, I'm gonna need some company at the game tonight," Gabriella said, nudging Taylor playfully. "You… want to come?"

"Come with you and watch sweaty guys travel up and down the court?" Taylor scoffed. "I guess, just for you," Taylor linked her arms with Gabriella and led her outside. "I'll meet you outside."

"Wildcats. This is it. Our last game before the championships," Jack said to his players. "You win this, we get a shot at glory. We lose… I want you all to walk back in here and say that you played your asses off. Every last one of you."

"Yes coach!" The team hollered back at him.

"Good. Troy, Chad, you know what to do," Jack said, backing out of the room.

"Alright guys," Troy said. "For some of you, this will be one of your last games. I know I should be saving this speech for the championships, but we're a team. Win together, lose together, we're the Wildcats. Together."

"What team!" Chad hollered. "WILDCATS!" All the guys yelled back.

"WHAT TEAM?"

"WILDCATS!"

"WILDCATS! GETCHA HEAD IN THE GAME!" And all the boys ran whooping out of the room and onto the court.

"And here we have East High's Wildcats," The announcers boomed. "We have South Valley High's Bobcats coming in as well. Whoever wins this game will face off the West High Knights in the championship game, two weeks from now."

*/*/*/*/*

Gabriella watched Troy in awe as he skillfully handled the basketball, running up and down the court, passing, shooting, scoring, sweat pouring down his body. He was amazing. She watched when the other team called time out, and Troy pulled his team in, conferring and encouraging the guys.

"That's Chad Danforth, Jason Cross, and Zeke Baylor," Taylor said, pointing each guy out as she said his name.

"Chad?" Gabriella said, perking up at his name. "That's Troy's best friend, right?"

"Yeah. They've been attached by the basketball since kindergarten. It's hard to remember that they're not actually related," Taylor laughed.

"Wow…" Gabriella mused. Taylor's phone buzzed as Troy made a basket.

"Hey Gabi?" Taylor said, not looking up from her phone. "I have to go, my mom wants me at home."

"Oh no!" Gabriella said, "Do you want me to walk you out?"

"No, no, I'll be fine." Taylor said reassuringly. "Enjoy the rest of the game!"

"Bye Taylor!" Gabriella watched her friend climb down the bleachers. She saw Taylor threading through the crowd, down next to the court. What she didn't see was Chad and a member of the opposing team rushing towards Taylor, battling over the ball. Chad tripped, and flew directly into… "TAYLOR!" Gabriella shrieked, seeing her friend getting bowled over by Chad. She rushed down to where Taylor lay under Chad, a crowd already gathered. She fought her way through, and vaguely heard the ref call a time out. When she reached the center of the throng surrounding Taylor, she bent down next to her friend and Chad as a brunette haired lady did the same.

"I'm so sorry," Chad exclaimed, pulling Taylor up. "Are you okay?" Taylor held her head and said "Ow…"

"Taylor, are you alright?" Gabriella grabbed her friend's arm. "Do you need a doctor?"

"Honey, I'm Lucille Bolton. Chad, get back on the court if you're okay. Taylor, are you okay?" The woman's name registered vaguely with Gabriella. "Let me take you into the locker room, I just want to check you out."

"I'm fine, really," Taylor said, straightening out her shirt and picking her jacket off the ground.

"You just got hit by Chad," Lucille said firmly, taking Taylor's arm and leading her towards the locker room, Gabriella trailing behind. "I've seen how much that boy eats, it must've been like hitting a ton of bricks."

*/*/*/*/*

A little while later, Taylor was seated on a bench in the girl's locker room, Lucille pressing different parts of her head, asking if it hurt.

"You must be Gabriella," Lucille observed as she wrapped Taylor's arm. "I'm Troy's mom, Lucille."

"Oh, hello, Dr. Bolton," Gabriella said, blushing. "I'm Gabriella Montez…" she trailed off, realizing that her introduction was useless.

"It's nice to finally meet you. I've been hearing about you ever since the ski lodge," Lucille said, finishing up wrapping Taylor's wrist.

"Thank you, Dr. Bolton," Taylor said, getting up from the bench. "I really appreciate you helping me out."

"No problem… Anyway, the game's probably over almost over. I'll walk you girls out."

The three women walked out of the locker room, finding confetti and a full court celebration going on.

"Oh," Gabriella said, dismayed. "We missed the end. I'm sorry, Dr. Bolton…"

"No worries," said Lucille with a grin as she saw Troy spot them and make his way towards them. "I've seen and heard enough basketball, living with the coach and my son."

"Mama!" Troy exclaimed, pecking his mother on the cheek. "Did you see that last basket I made? It was off the hook!" He pulled Gabriella into his arms and kissed her cheek as well. "Oh, I've seen you've already met my mom," he continued, smiling.

"I'm sorry, Troy, we missed the last few minutes," Gabriella said apologetically. Troy's face fell. "It was no fault of hers," Lucille said, "Chad is to blame. He bowled over poor Taylor here. You didn't see that?"

"Oh, I did," Troy said, turning to Taylor. "Are you alright? I should go find Chad, he'll want to apologize."

"Oh no, no," Taylor said, blushing. "I'm fine."

"Well, at least come to the after party," Troy grinned, tightening his arm around Gabriella's waist.

"After party?" Lucille said playfully. "It's not even your championship game!"

"Ever win is something to celebrate," Troy said gleefully.

"Hey Chad," Troy yelled, entering the already crowded house. His mom had dropped him, Gabriella and Taylor off. "Chad, this is Taylor McKessie. I believe-"

"Taylor, I'm so, so, sorry," Chad said sincerely. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Taylor insisted, for what felt like the 100th time that night. "Really."

"At least let me get you a drink!" Chad exclaimed, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the party.

"How much do you want to bet that they'll hook up?" Troy whispered into Gabriella's ear. She shivered at the feel of his breath on her ear.

"Looks like it's just us," Gabriella said, placing her hand in his.

"Looks like it is," Troy agreed, leaning down to kiss her.

It was a night for celebration.


	11. Chapter 11

"So what'd you think?" Gabriella asked Taylor conversationally as the plopped down on Gabi's living room couch.

"About the party?" Taylor mused. "To be honest, I never really… Well, I don't know about you, but I've never been to a party like that before… Lame, I know, but what constituted as a party for me was like a freshman birthday party where we went to the Cheesecake Factory or something."

"That's not lame," Gabriella said. "Better than what I had, I didn't really get invited to anything like that either. But, my question was really, what'd you think about Chad?"

"About _Chad_?" Taylor scoffed. "After he all but tackled me onto the ground… I mean, that was my first impression. Quite unceremonious."

"I mean, he took you to get a drink…" Gabriella pressed.

"He's a nice guy," Taylor said. "If you get him alone, he's not as much of a… airhead? Airhead. When you have an actual conversation with him."

"Well that's nice," Gabriella said. "Do you… Oh my God, this sounds so middle school but I've never really said it before, do you like him?"

"Look at us, giggling like a bunch of little girls," Taylor playfully scolded them. "Well, I don't know, I don't really know him."

"Okay," Gabriella stopped pressing her friend.

"Hi girls," Teresa Montez stuck her head into the room. "Do you guys need anything to eat?"

"Oh no thanks, Mom," Gabriella said. "Mom, this is Taylor McKessie. She's the captain of the decathlon team and she's in my AP Chemistry class."

"Taylor!" Teresa opened the door wider and strolled into the room, extending her arm. "I've heard so much about you. Thank you for being so welcoming to Gabriella," she said warmly.

"Hi Ms. Montez," Taylor got up and shook her hand. "It's been a pleasure getting to know Gabriella. She's amazing! I can't wait to have her on the team," she gushed.

"Well, let me know if you girls need anything," Teresa said. "I'll be in my office for a little bit, but then I have to go pick Jonah up from his friend's house."

"Okay, mom. Taylor, you want to come upstairs to my room?"

"Sure." Gabriella led the way upstairs, and Taylor commented, "Your mom seems nice."

"Truthfully?" Gabriella said, opening her bedroom door and leading Taylor to her couch. "My mom is… the best."

"Gabriella, is it okay if I be nosy?" Taylor asked, feeling uncomfortable for the first time since she had met Gabriella.

"Sure," Gabriella said easily. "Hey, I've never had anyone ask me that before…"

"What about your dad?" Taylor asked, and Gabriella froze. "I haven't heard you mention him…"

"My dad died." Gabriella said softly.

"Oh… I'm so sorry, Gabi," Taylor said, hugging her friend.

"It's okay… Well, no, it's not okay. I'm glad you asked so I could tell you?" Gabriella replied. "I was nine. My dad, he was driving home after a late shift at the hospital… He had stayed late to take care of a baby… He was a doctor in the neonatal intensive care unit," Gabriella explained quietly. "Since it was so late… he was driving home… He was hit by a car, a drunk driver." Gabi looked away from Taylor, for she still had a hard time telling this story.

"Gabriella…" Taylor said, wanting to cry herself.

"That's why we've moved so much," Gabriella said. "My mom… it was hard for all of us, but I think my mom took it the hardest, and she doesn't feel… settled, I guess. Now that he's gone. So we move around a lot, since she took a job that will move her around frequently."

"That must've been so hard…" Taylor said empathetically.

"It was," Gabriella agreed.

"So what does your mom do?" Taylor said, diverting the subject. "And, as cliché as this sounds, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"My mom is a lawyer," Gabriella said. "Well, she's a jury consultant. She has a law degree from Harvard. Her parents really wanted her to be a doctor, so she went to Harvard for pre-med, and that's where she met my dad. Then she realized that she couldn't handle… the emotional part of being a doctor, so she decided to apply to Harvard Law. And now here we are!" Gabriella finished.

"And what about you? What do you want to be… where do you want to go?" Taylor inquired. "I'm sure a lot of people have been asking you this…"

"Not really, actually," Gabriella said, shaking her head. "My future is always assumed… since I've done so well in school," Gabriella admitted sheepishly, blushing. "You know, Harvard, doctor or lawyer. And… Ever since my dad died, and I guess before then, I've wanted to be a doctor. Being able to help people, on that level… it's what I've always dreamed about. And I want to go to Stanford! That's my dream."

"That's amazing…" Taylor said. "I'm sure you can do whatever you want to. You're really an amazing person."

"Thanks, Taylor. What about you? Where do you want to go, what do you want to become?"

"Yale. Harvard law," Taylor said enthusiastically. "Stanford would be nice, too! But I want to be president of the United States."

"Wow!" Gabriella said, giggling at her ambition. "That's so cool!"

"Yeah. Unrealistic, I know. So I guess I could settle for practicing law. That's fascinating, too. But politics… I think that some real change needs to take place."

"Well, good for you!" Gabriella said sincerely. "Let's talk in 10 years, and see what happens to us."

"Ten years, and every year in between," Taylor agreed.

Gabriella laughed, and sighed. Her first true friend.

*/*/*/*/*

"So how's it going with you and Gabriella?" Chad panted, stealing the basketball from Troy and dribbling it down the court. Jason, Chad, Zeke and Troy were all sweating, playing ball in the dim light of the Boltons' outdoor lights.

"Great," Troy said.

"Kinda fast, don't you think?" Chad tossed the ball to Zeke.

"What? For a relationship?" Troy asked, stealing the ball from Zeke and shooting. "Eh, I mean, Gabi is… Gabi is a great girl. I really like her, and I figure, why wait, you know?"

"Look at you pussys," Zeke said. "Gossiping like a bunch of girls."

"Shut the fuck up," Chad said, scoring.

"Boys!" Lucille called. "You want dinner? Pizza's here!"

"Thanks Mrs. B!" Chad called. "You guys in?"

"Definitely," Jason said, making one last shot.

*/*/*/*/*

"So, son, I heard you're in the musical," Jack said, grabbing a slice of pizza from the box the boys were surrounding. "You want to trade your basketball shoes for ballet? I don't know if U of A has a spot for that," Jack teased.

"Jack!" Lucille scolded as Troy's friends began taunting Troy. "I think it's wonderful that Troy is expanding his repertoire."

"Just like you did, expanding your 'repertoire' to me? Dating a basketball coach instead of another doctor?" Jack said cheekily.

"Jack, you're such a child," Lucille rolled her eyes.

"Son, just make sure that this doesn't interfere with your basketball. You need to focus," Jack said sternly, turning back to the boys. "Boys, see to it that your captain is not distracted this next few weeks. We want to whoop those West High Knights."

"Yes sir!" The boys said, then they went back to scarfing down their pizza.

* * *

**A/N**

So what do you guys think? Character development, plot development, etc. Let me know! Thanks so much for reading, and I'll try to update soon!

~Jackie 3


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N**

Hey guys! Thank you so much for coming in to read this fanfic… Welcome! I hope you enjoy, and please review!

-Jackie

* * *

"Gabriella," Troy said, catching her from behind as she waited for the bus. He kissed her cheek.

"Good morning, Troy," Gabriella said cheerily, blushing at his kiss. "Jonah, you gonna be okay for taking the bus?"

"Yeah," Jonah said, not looking up from his book.

"Okay, bye!" Gabriella set off with Troy.

"So," Troy said, taking her hand. "What are you doing this Friday night?"

"Well," Gabriella said, "I've never been asked on a date before, but this sounds like some kind of prelude."

"You ruined it!" Troy said, pretending to pout. "I wasn't finished." Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Gabriella, would you like to go on a date with me this Friday night?"

"Won't you be sore from practice?" Gabriella said, raising her eyebrows.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"A yes, of course," Gabriella said.

"What do you want to do?" Troy asked. "Dinner, then a movie?"

"That sounds perfect," Gabriella replied.

"Great. I'll pick you up at 6:30."

*/*/*/*/*

"Gabriella!" Taylor greeted, as Gabriella sat down at their lunch table. "How was the rest of your weekend?"

"Great," Gabriella responded. "You seem rather chipper today," Gabriella observed.

"Hey," another voice said.

"Hi Chad," Taylor said shyly, which made Gabriella raise her eyebrows.

"Would you two like to come sit with us?" Chad asked. "Troy sent me."

"Um… sure," Gabriella said, pulling Taylor's arm and picking up her tray.

"Gabriella, these are the guys," Troy said in a grand sweeping motion. "Here's Jason Cross, Zeke Baylor, that's Charles Kampf, and that's Jay Caeser. Charles and Jay are seniors. And of course, you've met Chad. Though not in the most ceremonious way," Troy said, grinning at his best friend.

"Ladies," Zeke jumped up from his seat and kissed Gabi and Taylor on the cheek. "I've heard a lot about _you_," Zeke teased, laughing at Gabriella's face.

"Hey, hands off, man. She's taken," Troy said, trying to appear lighthearted but drawing a possessive arm around Gabriella's waist.

"Hey guys," Martha said. "Mind if I join?"

"Sure," Gabriella said easily.

"Troy! Gabriella!" The couple turned around to see Kelsi approaching them with her lunch tray. "I was wondering if you guys had time to go over some musical stuff? Rehearsals start in two weeks, the Monday after your championship game," she said pointedly at Troy. "And since we're getting a later start due to renovations in the theater, we're only gonna have about two months to prepare."

"Um, Kelsi, do we have to do this here?" Troy hissed, glancing at his teammates.

"I guess not," Kelsi sighed. "Here's the script," Kelsi said as she put her tray down and rummaged through her backpack. "Do your best to learn this, when you have time."

"Thanks, Kels," Troy said, putting the script in his back.

"No problem."

"Troy, you know if it's too much, you can… not do it," Gabriella said.

"No, no." Troy insisted. "I want to do this, it's just that I need some time to get the guys come around."

*/*/*/*/*

They week flew by. Tests were taken, basketball practices became more intense and left the team more sore than ever. Surprisingly, Jason, after seeing Kelsi talking to Troy, asked her out, and Chad and Taylor began a game of cat-and-mouse- teasing each other non-stop. Troy and Gabriella met for their tutoring session, it turning into a lesson of more their chemistry than Troy's actual work:

"You realize that this is the first time all week that we've been alone?" Troy pouted as Gabriella checked over his homework.

"Yes," Gabriella said. "Which is why we're taking advantage of the silence."

"Or… we could take advantage of it in other ways," Troy said cheekily, running his hand down her back and pressing his lips to her cheek for a lingering amount of time.

"Troy!" Gabriella blushed crimson. Troy took the opportunity of her looking up at him to draw her in for a long kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her onto his lap, where she cautiously shifted to straddle him. He ran his fingers through her hair, weaving them into her ebony curls. His tongue pressed against her lips, asking for entrance, and her lips parted. Their tongues battled, and when Gabriella needed air, she broke the kiss, gasping as Troy ran his lips down her neck.

"Troy," she breathed. "We have to stop. My mom will be home soon."

Troy planted another kiss on her temple. "I say that we get a lot of chemistry done between the time your mom comes home and now," he pressed his lips to hers again. Gabriella broke the kiss and it took all of her self-restraint to climb off of him and pick up his discarded paper.

*/*/*/*/*

After Troy had left, Gabriella was left alone in her room to contemplate. She had never been in a relationship before; even with her zero amount of boy-relationship experience, she was pretty sure that her relationship with Troy was moving pretty quickly. The idea didn't make her feel uncomfortable, but it didn't make her happy, either. Well, scratch that, because her weeks at East High had been some of the happiest she had ever had. There was something about the way Troy looked at her that was _different_ than other high school relationships she had observed.

"Oh my God, Gabriella," She said out loud to her empty room. "Don't be ridiculous!" Gabriella climbed into her bed and wrapped her covers around her. Could Troy… _love_ her? "Gabi," Gabriella said out loud. "You've known him for two weeks. Don't be ridiculous, Troy is… Troy is perfect! He won't lov- _like _you for long." Gabriella sighed, and said to herself: Boy trouble. Wonderful.

*/*/*/*/*

"So, Gabriella," her mother said conversationally. The three Montez family members were seated around the dinner table, working on finishing the chicken, rice, and beans that Teresa had prepared. "How did your tutoring with Troy go today?"

"It went well," Gabriella said. "We actually got a lot done; Troy, like I think I've said before, is quite smart, he just needs some nudging in the right direction."

"Good," Teresa said. "And since you two are going on your first date this Friday… I was wondering if on Saturday night, Troy could come over for dinner?"

"Mami!" Gabriella blushed furiously. "I don't think…"

"It's just dinner, Gabriella," Teresa reasoned. "I've heard so much about him, it would be nice to meet him in person."

"I'll talk to him," Gabriella said, going back to her food pointedly.

"Good. Jonah, how was your day today?"

"It was good. I had clay class today, and I'm learning how to make a bowl. On a wheel!" Jonah said proudly.

"That's wonderful, Jonah!" Teresa said. "Are you going to paint it as well? Or, what do you call it…"

"Glaze?" Jonah responded. "I think I'm going to glaze and paint it. It won't be to eat, it'll be for decoration."

"I'm sure it'll be very beautiful," Teresa said.


	13. Chapter 13

Troy paced nervously on the Montez's doorstep, holding a hydrangea bud from his yard. He had carefully cut it and washed it, ensuring that it was free of bugs. It was violet blue, which, unbeknownst to him, made his cerulean eyes even more blue. He gathered his courage, then rang the doorbell.

"Hi Troy!" Gabriella said brightly, as she opened the door. She stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek, and as she did, whispered "My mom wants to meet you… I'm sorry, I tried to avoid this…"

"Gabriella, you look… beautiful," Troy said, giving his girlfriend a once-over. "More beautiful than normal." Gabriella was wearing a royal blue tiered ruffle dress, with a long gold chain that had a gold key on it. Her purse and wedges were by the door, along with her faux leather jacket. It was a much-discussed outfit between her, Taylor, Martha, and Kelsi.

"Thank you," Gabriella said, blushing. "You clean up pretty well yourself." Instead of his normal t-shirt or casual polo, Troy had a dark blue polo on, with a black sport coat and dark jeans. Gabriella led him inside by the hand.

"Troy!" Teresa said warmly, extending her hand. "So nice to finally meet you." Troy could feel Teresa giving him the once-over, and felt her exuding the 'protective parent' vibe.

"Ms. Montez," Troy said, firmly shaking her hand. "I'm Troy Bolton. Thank you for allowing me to take Gabriella out tonight," he said with confidence he didn't feel.

"My pleasure. I'm looking forward to having dinner with you tomorrow night. Gabriella," Teresa said, turning to her daughter, who was smelling the hydrangea which she had put in a glass of water. "Curfew is at 11."

"I'll bring her home before then," Troy said, smiling. "Gabi, you ready to go?"

"Coming," Gabriella put down the vase and went to get her jacket.

"It was nice to meet you, Ms. Montez."

"Likewise. See you tomorrow, Troy," Teresa Montez said with a smile.

"See you tomorrow."

Troy took Gabriella's hand to help her down the stairs in her high wedges, and Gabriella stopped him and pressed her lips to his. "I think you passed that test with flying colors," Gabriella whispered.

*/*/*/*/*

After driving in companionable silence for a few minutes, Troy stopped his pickup truck in front of a small Italian restaurant known as the Chateau. It was one of Albuquerque's nicer restaurants, and had soft outdoor lighting. Troy ran around the front of the car and opened Gabriella's door, and offered her his arm.

"Troy, this is…" Gabriella said softly.

"Do you like it?" Troy asked nervously, opening the door for her.

"It's lovely, Troy," Gabriella reached up and kissed his cheek.

Once they were seated and the waiter had taken their orders, Gabriella and Troy settled into conversation. Gabriella marveled about how easy it was to talk to Troy, how much he understood her and how much she understood him. He made her laugh, and he, in turn, marveled at the sound of her beautiful laugh and wondered why no one had ever noticed it before.

"You have a wonderful laugh, you know that?" Troy said, suddenly. Gabriella blushed. _Why did Troy have that effect on her?Why did she blush every time he complimented her?_

"Thank you," Gabriella said, ducking her head.

The rest of their date was perfectly romantic; they shared gelato for dessert, and Troy insisted on paying the bill. He picked up her hand and wove their fingers together, and they walked silently to his car.

"Thank you, Troy," Gabriella said, as he started the car. "For dinner… for… everything."

"Everything?" Troy said, raising his eyebrows.

"My first kiss, my first date…" Gabriella said softly. "It's so… strange. I've never had anyone besides my family that I could talk to, not like this. But… with you, and with Taylor… It's amazing."

"Gabriella, you're so incredible. You've changed East High just in a matter of days. You've changed me… I mean, I never would've tried out for the musical if it weren't for you, but now I'm really looking forward to it, actually…"

"Well, this date is perfect," Gabriella commented.

"You know what would make it more perfect?" Troy pulled into a parking space behind the mall, where the movie theater was located. Turning off the car, he leaned over and pressed his lips softly to Gabriella's.

"We could just stay here," Gabriella murmured into Troy's lips. "And just…" Troy swallowed her words in another kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth and running his hands through her hair. He was twisted in an awkward position, and so Gabriella freed herself and Troy from their seat belts and climbed onto his lap.

"Ugh," Troy groaned, breaking the kiss. "We have a movie to catch."

"I guess making out would be a little more comfortable there," Gabriella said cheekily.

"You're supposed to be shy!" Troy exclaimed, feeling himself twitch in a place he really didn't want to. "What happened to that girl that I met at the ski lodge?"

"Don't know, but if you want her back…" Gabriella pulled back from their kiss.

"No, no," Troy said, opening his car door and getting out of the car to open Gabriella's. "You're perfect just the way you are."

*/*/*/*/*

As Gabriella had suggested, their absorption of the plotline was marred a little (okay, a lot) by the amount of making out the couple did. As he pulled up in front of her house, Gabriella ran her hands through her hair, trying to make it more acceptable.

"I had a really nice time tonight, Troy," Gabriella commented as he led her to her front door by the hand.

"As did I," Troy said, stopping in front of her door. He removed his hand from hers, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. "What's a first date without a goodnight kiss…" he murmured, and he pressed his lips to hers softly. "Goodnight, Gabriella."

"Goodnight, Troy," Gabriella whispered. She stood outside, watching him get into his car and drive away. Unlocking and opening her front door, she walked up the stairs and collapsed on her bed, hugging her pillow.

"Gabriella, is that you?" Teresa called. Gabriella heard footsteps outside her door, and then knocking.

"Come in," Gabriella said.

"So, how was it?" Teresa inquired.

"First date-y," Gabriella replied.

"In a good way or bad way?"

"In… the most amazing way. Troy is incredibly, Mom. I think that you'll really like him."

"Does he make you happy?" Teresa asked.

"Yes. More happy than I ever imagined being, and it's only been two weeks…"

"Then yes, I'll like him."

* * *

**A/N**

This is Gabriella's date night dress. Scroll down, it's the blue one. (Delete the spaces).

www. hercampus style/cute-spring-outfits-how-mix-match-seasonal-staples-new-trends

Tune in next time for when Troy meets Gabriella's mom! I hope y'all are enjoying this, and the review box below this a/n IS YOUR FRIEND! Please let me know what you think!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N**

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all y'all for reading this fanfic- it's been amazing, seeing how many people are just taking a minute to view my work. Please review!

-Jackie

* * *

A text arrived at Gabriella's phone right after she woke up. _Gabriella, I can't come tonight. I'm sick_. From Troy.

Gabriella texted back, _Sure you are, Wildcat. You just don't want to come tonight. I understand if you actually don't, you can back out if you want to._

A few minutes later, Gabriella's phone rang.

"What makes you think I actually want to back out?" Troy demanded over the phone.

"Troy, it's okay if you don't want to. I understand if it's too much pressure or something, and I'll just tell my mom that you got sick or something. Not that she would fall for it."

"I like the nickname," Troy said, changing the subject. "Is that a permanent fixture in your methods of conversing with me, along with blushing and not knowing how beautiful you are?" He said unabashedly.

"Troy!" Gabriella blushed scarlet red. "And I guess if you want it to be…"

"I like it," Troy repeated.

"Okay, Wildcat."

"Alright, coach wants us to meet up at the gym. Something about 'Saturday morning workouts will get our blood going for the whole week'," Troy said, grinning. His dad was crazy about basketball, and about his team.

"Have fun, Wildcat. Don't injure yourself for the big game," Gabriella said.

"Hey, the game's not for another week. Anything that the wimps on my team do to me, I can shake off, baby."

"Game next week?" Gabriella said innocently. "I was talking about tonight!"

Troy groaned. "Bye, Gabi."

"See you tonight, Wildcat."

*/*/*/*/*

"Jonah!" Gabriella yelled from upstairs. "Get the door, please!"

"Hey Troy," Jonah said, opening the door. "Wow, you like fancy."

"Is it too much?" Troy said worriedly, then grinned that he was asking a ten year old for fashion advice.

"Not bad, seeing as you're meeting the parent for the first time…" Jonah said, giving Troy another once over. Troy was wearing a baby blue button up, collared shirt with dark jeans.

"Thanks, Jonah," Troy replied as Gabriella came thumping down the stairs.

"Troy!" Gabriella said, screeching to a halt in front of him. "Sorry, I'm such a mess… ran out of time…"

"She's been cleaning the house all day," Jonah explained. "Cleaning and doing her homework. Hurricane Gabriella is in town."

"Oh, hush, Jonah," Gabriella said, planting a kiss on Troy's cheek.

"Ew," Jonah said.

"It's just on the cheek," Gabriella said, turning to her brother but blushing nonetheless.

"Uh huh," Jonah said.

"Troy!" Teresa came walking out of the kitchen, arm extended. "So nice to see you again, and so soon!"

"Hi, Ms. Montez," Troy said, taking her hand and shaking it.

"Well, come in," Teresa said.

Troy took a deep breath, hoping he would come out alive.

*/*/*/*/*

Troy, Gabriella, and Ms. Montez were seating on the L-shaped living room coach. Gabriella was at the end of the coach, her mom next to her, and Troy was sitting next to her mom, a few feet away.

"So, Troy, Gabriella tells me that you play basketball," Teresa said conversationally.

"I do," Troy confirmed.

"You enjoy this? What are your plans for college?"

"I do enjoy basketball a lot," Troy admitted. "Since I was little, it's been my passion. Having two basketball crazy guys at the house sure has driven my mom crazy!"

"Is it something you wish to pursue in college?" Teresa inquired.

"Yes ma'am," Troy said as Gabriella giggled at his formality. "My dad and I have been dreaming about me playing at the U of A just like he did, ever since I was little, but…" Troy paused. "Lately I've been thinking a lot, what with the guidance counselors talking to us more and more about our futures. My grades are pretty good, by no means Gabriella standard, but… they're my fallback if I don't get recruited. Hopefully I will, and I'm good enough to say that I'm pretty sure that I will. But my mom wants me to go to a good school, academically, just in case basketball doesn't work out."

"Where do you want to go with your basketball, Troy?" Teresa asked, digging deeper.

"I'd like to play in the NBA," Troy admitted. "My dream is to play for the Lakers, play basketball for anyone, really, though."

"I see…" Teresa said. "Your fallback is academics? What will you major in?"

"Actually, I'd like to go down the pre-med path; when I was in my freshman year, I tore my ACL, and I was introduced into the world of sports medicine. It's actually pretty fascinating, and I guess that's where I'd want to be if basketball doesn't work out."

"That's amazing," Gabriella murmured. "You never told me that."

"I'm full of surprises," Troy teased lightly.

"Well, Troy, you seem like a very well rounded young man." Teresa stated, rising. "Now that the interrogation is over, I'll leave you kids alone so you can chat."

"Can we go upstairs, mom?" Gabriella asked, jumping up.

"Door open," Teresa said, leaving the room.

*/*/*/*/*

"How'd it go?" Jonah asked, sticking his head in. He had escaped after dinner, mumbling something about reading a book, but really wanting to escape the interrogation just in case Troy didn't pass.

"It went well, don't you think, Troy?" Troy's head was in her lap, and she was stroking his hair.

"I was pretty good, if I do say so myself," Troy grinned.

"I was wondering if you guys wanted to play a board game?" Jonah asked, stepping into the room, holding a Monopoly box.

"Jonah, I don't think…" Gabriella started.

"I would love to," Troy declared. "No sympathy for the girlfriend or the ten year old. Game on!"

*/*/*/*/*

"Troy, I think that went rather well," Gabriella said, swinging their hands between them as she walked Troy to his car.

"You think?" Troy asked, halting at the gate.

"Yes. I think my mom was very impressed. Not to mention that you played with my little brother… and enjoyed it."

"I did enjoy it," Troy replied. "Jonah is a cool kid. He's not like… annoying, or anything. He seems pretty mature."

"He is," Gabriella said. The couple stood in silence for a few moments. "Troy, thank you so much for coming and making a good impression on my family… That means a lot."

"Anytime," Troy said, kissing Gabriella.

Gabriella smiled and watched as Troy drove away.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N**

Hey guys!

IT'S SATURDAY WOOHOO! I am SO EXCITED that I actually hit chapter 15… I hope that you're enjoying this as much as I am… Please review!

By the way- I just began another HSM fanfic- it's called 'The Essence of Family'. Check it out!

-Jackie

* * *

The week leading up to the championship game flew by- the excited tension in the air was like no other Gabriella had witnessed. Everyone seemed to be building up the big game; Friday, the student council planned a spirit day where everyone would wear red and white. There was a pep rally scheduled right after school on Friday, and everywhere Troy and the team went, they were greeted enthusiastically. Everyone seemed to be gearing up for the championships.

"Doesn't the pressure get to you?" Gabriella asked, taking a bite of her salad as Troy was greeted by a group of giggling sophomore girls.

"Yes and no," Troy answered. "Basketball… That's where I'm meant to be. When I'm on the court, my eye is on the ball- literally. I'm so focused, so in the moment… I love that. But then you realize that when you're playing, you're not for yourself. You're for your team, for your _school_. And now… since I'm a junior, it's… it's for college."

"Wow," Gabriella said, quietly. "That's incredible."

"It really is. But it's what we do," Troy replied. "It's high pressure, but the pressure, all those people watching us… that makes us perform better, you know?"

"I guess," Gabriella mused.

*/*/*/*/*

Later that day, at decathlon practice, Gabriella and Taylor were working on some chemistry problems.

"Tay, I think I got it," Gabriella murmured, eyes flying across her paper, checking her work one last time.

"What?" Taylor said, laying down her pencil. "That was fast…"

Gabriella blushed and pushed her paper towards Taylor. "You check, maybe it's wrong?"

"Probably not," Taylor said, eyes following Gabriella's work across the page. "Yeah, that looks right… How do you do that? So quickly… I barely have time to start and you're already halfway there, and when I'm halfway, you're finished!"

"I don't know, Taylor…" Gabriella said, looking down. "It just comes so easily…"

"Okay," Taylor said, trying to hide her jealousy. "Hey, I'm so glad to have you on the team… We could have a shot at making it to nationals!"

"Yes!" Gabriella said. "Hey Tay? Are you going to the game the Friday?"

"Who isn't?" Taylor snorted, then she softened and blushed. "And yes… because Chad asked me to come."

"_Chad_ asked you to come?" Gabriella said, raising her eyebrows. "Excuse me! When did this happen?"

"It's not a date or anything!" Taylor insisted, though her wide smile gave her eagerness away. "He just said that you know, he feels bad about crashing into me and that he wanted me at the game so that I could see him play?"

"Girl, that sounds rather flirtatious to me!" Gabriella teased. "Was there an invite to the after party in there as well?"

"Maybe," Taylor said, turning back to her paper.

"Taylor, ooo, you _likeee_ him don't you?" Gabriella taunted teasingly. "Taylor McKessie, into a jock. Who would've thought?"

"Stop it!" Taylor said, blushing. "You, the smartest girl I've ever met, is dating a basketball lunkhead!"

"You love it," Gabriella laughed. "It's nice, though… I'm meeting people I never would've mixed with in the first place."

"Me too," Taylor agreed. "I've known Troy and Chad since like, 3rd grade. They've always been the cool, nice guys - but we never really talked. Until… now."

"Well, you and Chad will be really cute together," Gabriella said.

"And Troy can't keep his eyes off of you," Taylor confirmed with a smile.

"Taylor," Gabriella said suddenly, her mood shifting. "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything," Taylor immediately said.

"I've known Troy for, what… two, three weeks? But I've never felt this way before… and… I just haven't had really any experience with guys… but… I think I…" Gabriella hesitated. "God, this is so hard, I don't know how to say it…"

"Do you think you love him?" Taylor questioned softly. Gabriella gasped, then blushed deep red.

"I… I don't know. I think so, but… Is that stupid? I've known him for so little time… I feel like I'm in middle school or something."

"I don't think it's stupid," Taylor said. "You know, I don't mean to sound cheesy, but you and Troy… You and Troy are different. You may very well be that high school couple that makes it, like some romantic chick flick," Taylor smiled.

"It _feels_ different," Gabriella admitted. "I've never been in love before, my crushes have been strictly platonic. I've never been in a relationship… But I never imagined my first relationship to be like this, so easy… So _perfect_." Gabriella sighed happily.

"I don't think it's ridiculous, Gabi. There _is _something there… Troy is an all-or-nothing type guy, you know? That's why he's different from most of those lunkhead athletes… He's really passionate, and that's what I've observed after all my years of watching everyone in our grade."

"But what if he doesn't love me back?" Gabriella whispered.

"Boys develop more slowly, Gabi. From the way he looks at you… I don't think he's realized it yet, but… he will. I'm almost sure of it," Taylor gave her friend a reassuring hug.

"How'd you get so wise?" Gabriella said, giggling to break her solemnity.

"By listening, young grasshopper," Taylor joked. "We'd best get these problems done. We have a Stuveysant team to beat at Nationals!"

*/*/*/*/*

"Eat up, son," Jack said, piling food onto his son's plate. "Championships are tomorrow. I want you in bed by ten, and you text all the guys and tell them the same."

"Dad…"

"This is the biggest game of the year, Troy. Just humor me, okay?"

"Okay!" Troy said, rolling his eyes but secretly grateful that his dad cared so much.

"Jack…" Lucille said. "I'm sure Troy is as nervous as you are, but he's not showing it. Stop acting so overbearing!" She said fondly, reaching over to smooth Troy's hair.

"Lucy, please," Jack said. "We got a team to play for!"

* * *

**A/N**

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME NEXT CHAPTER! NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!

I hope you're having a lovely weekend! xx


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